Sunday, January 1, 2012

Week Summary: Dec 26 - Jan 1

12-26-2011Mon-AM: 0:10 ~ Home Pastures in Nebraska
Shin was twingy so I didn't push it beyond more than this with running and then wasn't motivated to seek out any legitimately steep hiking terrain.

12-27-2011Tue - off

12-28-2011Wed - off

12-29-2011Thu-PM: 1:22, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down 1st Saddle. Got out in the dark after a long day of driving back to Boulder from Nebraska. Really warm evening, but there was some crazy wind up on the NE ridge and the summit. Great to get back on the hill after a few days away, but pretty wild how much snow has melted.

12-30-2011Fri-AM: 4:00, 6000' ~ Mt Belford & Mt. Oxford
Missouri Gulch TH via NW Ridge w/ Jeff and Homie. Balmy upper-30s at the trailhead were contrasted with some fairly significant winds (50+ mph?) on the summits and the saddle between the two peaks. Hiked well on the uphills but could definitely feel my lack of altitude acclimation. Ran the downhills and flats and enjoyed pounding the quads on the final 4mi/4600' drop back to the trailhead (including the mile down the NW ridge that loses 2200') off the summit of Belford. Shin held up well, helped by the mixed snow/talus/scree conditions. Awesome day with some great mountain folks. Hardrock training commences!

12-31-2011Sat-AM: 1:26, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down 1st Saddle. Awesome morning. I ran to the base of Amphitheater, marched to the top, and then ran every step back to my door, all without protest from the shin. It's crazy to me how the right amount of activity heals this thing, but too little or too much makes it unhappy. More crazy Chinooks up on the NE ridge this morning.PM: 1:21, 2500' ~ Green Mt.
Up 3rd access and down 1st Saddle, all hiking. Locked bike at the usual spot by Gregory but then hiked over to the Third. Legs felt really good and spikes were gripping well on the super icy trails; nearly lost an eye on an errant tree branch, though. Made it half-way back down the mountain by moonlight but eventually relented and switched the headlamp on. Really fun outing.

1-1-2012Sun-AM: 1:22, 2800' ~ Green Mt.
Up and down 1st Saddle. Ran almost every step of this outing, hiking only the steepest stuff on the way up. Very nice first summit of the year, but trail is becoming bullet-proof ice for pretty much everything below Greenman. Hugely encouraging run; nice way to kick off 2012!PM: 1:28, 2600' ~ Green Mt.
Up 3rd access, down 1st/2nd access. Felt good and the half-full moon provided enough light on the way down. All hiking.

I was visiting my parents in Nebraska the first half of this week, and while there the shin seemed to be frustratingly touchy. I say "seemed" because I'm now fairly certain that complete rest isn't the best thing for it. While with each day off ("off" being a relative term; each day I still got out for a couple mile stroll around the farm and other rigorous physical activity in the form of firewood-making with axes and chainsaws) my shin seemed to only worsen, when I returned to Colorado on Thursday the return to focused intensity and duration of hiking/running seemed to only make the shin feel better and better. This is a pattern I've noticed with it before; the trick now is to carefully monitor and limit my progression.

In terms of stats, 2011's numbers were severely limited by all my non-running due to injury (shin periostitus, broken fibula). Mileage was only ~40% of 2010, but all of my steep hiking this year is reflected in the fact that in 2010 I only averaged 175'/mi while I bumped that up to 266'/mile this year. Even with all my time off I still managed a Green summit on average of nearly every-other-day; I was quite surprised to realize that I didn't top out on SoBo a single time in the past calendar year (nor visit Shadow Canyon, sadly). I surely hope to rectify that in 2012.

Friday's foray into the high country was just what I needed. I've sorely missed the big mountains over the past 18 months and I really look forward to making them an increasingly bigger part of my weekly outdoors activity as I build my fitness for Hardrock over the next six months.

Anton, do you ever do any strength training for your calves? I used to get pain in my shins when I upped my mileage by alot,but I found that calf raises really help eliminate pain in the calves/shins/ankles...adding in a little weight training can really help with injury prevention/rehab.-Best of luck!

Anton: Sorry to see that you're continuing to deal with shin issues. I'm currently getting over post-tib tendonitis and it sucks. Anyway, I'm starting to wonder if you have compartment syndrome, because it seems nothing will clear up the problem. Have you gotten a diagnosis from an orthopedic specialist? If it's compartment syndrone, maybe surgery is an option.

Incredible photos!Love your comment "Hardrock training commences". Hiking is only going to make you a better Hardrocker, looking forward to seeing you tackle those mountains. See you in Silverton...Also funny that the word verification I have to type in "recrock" ;-)

Anton, when are the MT 110's coming out?? I've been dying for a pair but my local NB stores seem to know little to nothing about the shoe or it's release date. From what I can gather they should be out this month, but when?!

I don't get it either. I work at a local running store and we can't touch the shoe at all right now. I couldn't resist though and ordered a pair from Running Warehouse. I should have them tomorrow and can't wait to log some miles in them. I don't understand why New Balance would make them available to a big name online vendor and not specialty fitters. I'm sure money has something, eh.. everything, to do with it.

The ideal in the Lieh-Tzu is a state, not of withdrawal, but of heightened perceptiveness and responsiveness in an undifferentiated world. My mind concentrated and my body relaxed, bones and flesh fused completely, I drifted with the wind East or West, like a leaf from a tree or a dry husk, and never knew whether it was the wind that rode me or I that rode the wind. -The Book of Lieh-Tzu